Archive for the ‘Blogging’ Category

VIP Author Talks Special Event

Ten years ago, an author with a website on the Internet was a big deal. Today, having a website is like having a cellphone…everyone has one. And just like smartphones are to cell phones, WordPress blogs are to author websites. If you want to stand out in the crowd, a customized WordPress blog is your ticket.

Are interested in finding out how you can make your blog do some double-duty as a marketing hub, too? If so, please join us for a special event when VIP Author Talks interviews Marty Dickinson for a special teleclass presentation, “WordPress Blogs as Your Marketing Hub.”

During this special teleclass, you will discover the answers to these questions:

• What is WordPress, and why is it so essential for the promotion of your book, speaking, and business?
• Should you use the WordPress free hosting option or not ? (And, how the wrong answer could paralyze your business.)
• How can you assure your WordPress installation is secure from hackers?
• How can you connect your website with Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin? (Which will easily save you 10 hours a week.)
• What’s involved with converting a traditional (old) website into a WordPress machine? (Design limitations and how to get around them and still use WordPress.)
• How can you promote your main business online using multiple websites produced with WordPress? (And why you would want multiple websites in the first place.)
• How can having a WordPress website set the stage for dozens of higher-level, traffic-building techniques for your website?

Have a question not listed above? Write it down now to ask during the live Q&A at the end of the teleclass.

Mark your calendar right now to join us for this informative teleclass!

Topic: WordPress as Your Marketing Hub

When: Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Time: 4:00pm Eastern Time (3pm Central, 2pm Mountain, 1pm Pacific).

How to Register:

For Authors Only and VIP Authors Inner Circle Members: You are already registered. Log on to the Members-Only page for call-in details. The audio recording of the class will be posted to the members page within 24 hours after the event.

Non-Members: Not a member, but want to hear the class? You can pay for the class only.

Registration for this event is now closed. The audio recording of the teleclass is available for purchase on the VIP Author Talks Audio page. Review this and all VIP Author Talks programs here>>

Speaker Bio:

Marty Dickinson started his first website in 1995 and is the co-author of Web Marketing All-in-One for Dummies. He manages more than 100 of his own websites and helps authors, speakers and business owners around the world with their Internet marketing through his company HereNextYear, Inc.

Were you on last night’s call, “Using Social Media & Digital Publishing to Skyrocket Publishing Success”? If so, then you already know how to become a Google partner and place your book in its worldwide sales and marketing program. For free.

You also know how to get your book into Amazon’s free Digital Text Platform (DTP) program and sell your ebook on Kindle for free. And that you can do this with little or no technical knowledge other than how to upload a file.

Don’t despair if you missed it! Here is the link to the replay:

Social Media + Digital Publishing Skyrocket Publishing Success Audio

Something else you missed if you weren’t on the call was a very special offer for those who join the new For Authors Only program before the first class on Tuesday, June 15.

Many of you have contacted me to say you want to join the program, but feel that you don’t have the computer skills to actively blog or social network. You don’t really need a high level of skill for the program, but you do have to somewhat computer savvy, so you have a choice:

If you are working with a VA or a tech assistant who helps you with your social networking, blogging or online marketing, you can bring your assistant to the program at no extra charge. Your assistant might be your child, neighbor, college student or virtual assistant.  If you want to take advantage of this incredible value (2 for 1), simply contact me after you register with the other person’s contact information. (This is “on your honor” and I will send the appropriate information to your assistant so he or she can access the program calls and downloads. Please do not share member-only passwords or material with anyone.)

If you are NOT working with an assistant, here’s your special offer:

I will extend the early registration bonus, which has expired, to those who sign up by June 15 and are not bringing an assistant. Your bonus includes a free 30-minute consultation with me ($175 value) and a free audio teleseminar program of 4 recorded hours an 60 transcript pages ($199 value).

Join now and start downloading the bonus digital package that EVERY MEMBER receives, which includes approximately 10 hours of audio and 120 pages of transcripts.

Get all the details and join here>>

Remember, the bonus offers expire when classes start on June 15.

So, please don’t delay any longer! I’m looking forward to having you in the program.

When did you start your blog, Stories for Invisible Friends?

I officially started in Summer 2005 when I was moving from South Florida to take a faculty position as a history professor in Tallahassee.  Before that I had a website where I published the articles I wrote for parenting magazines.

Why did you start your blog?

The first time I heard the word “blog” and became aware of their existence was in Summer 2005 when I read about a New York Beauty editor/blogger losing her job for writing about work while at work.

Minutes after I read that article I followed a few links and had my own blog up.  I had no specific intentions, no desired audience. It felt very much like buying a new leather journal – exciting, inspiring, fresh and new.

What is the significance of turning 40 and posting your 1000th blog entry on the same day for you?

About two months ago when I logged on to Blogger,  I saw that I was at post 950, and decided to pace myself to hit 1,000 on my 40th birthday.

Honestly, I’m amazed at how effortlessly the stories have come, and how they show how my perspective and voice have evolved over the past three years.  One thousand sounds like a huge number, but really, it works out to less than a story a day, reflecting only a tiny corner of my life.

At first I thought I would write about turning 40, but I have a bigger story to write –  one that doesn’t involve me at all. It’s called “Hearts: Broken and Hopeful.”  Read the rest of this entry »

Have you been to a book signing lately or read an author interview in a magazine or heard a book talk show on the radio? Chances are you remember more about the story behind the book (what inspired the author) than the book topic. That’s because the most effective way to get people talking about you and your book is to create a memorable story.

Think about it. How many self-help books are out in the marketplace? Financial or investment advice books? How about fantasy novels? Yet, some authors are very successful at spinning their stories so that their books stand out in overcrowded genres and make the bestseller lists.

Rhonda Byrne describes how she was at a personal low in her life–her father died and her business was failing–when she was given a book that revealed the secret to turning her life around. Her desire to share her new-found knowledge with the world was the impetus that led first to the movie, “The Secret,” and then to the book, which still remains on the Publishers Weekly bestseller list after several years.

Robert Kiyosaki told the story of his life lessons learned in his how-to-get-and-stay-rich book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad. Originally self-published, this memoir-style account of how two powerful role models in his life shaped his approach to building successful businesses topped The New York Times bestseller lists for more than 100 weeks.

JK Rowling was a single mom on welfare writing during her children’s nap time when she began the Harry Potter series. Today she is the richest woman in Great Britain due to the books’ successes.

It’s a long road from humble beginnings to successful author. Just having a good book is not enough. So, how do you get started on the path?

Dramatize your story. What inspired you to write the book? It could be as simple as a passing comment from your partner or child or it could have been a milestone event in your life. Laura Duksta, author of The New York Times bestselling children’s book I Love You More, says the story was inspired while she was praying for her sister and nephew. Deborah Sharp, author of the newly released murder mystery, Mama Does Time, says after 9/11 she turned from reporting the news as a USA Today journalist to fiction writing so she could write about happy endings for change.

Here are some tips on how use your packaged story as a base to to build your audience while you are writing your book:

1.Position yourself as an expert. Write articles for trade publications. Teach classes, seminars or workshops. Offer yourself as a guest for local radio or television shows.
2. Connect with your target audience. Start a newsletter. Write a blog. Be a guest speaker for professional or civic groups. Join groups or associations connected to your topic and take a leadership role or volunteer for committees.
3. Publicize your work. Write press releases, post your events on community calendars and participate in social networking sites.
4. Once the book is out, arrange book signings at bookstores or businesses related to your topic. One author I know sold her mystery novel set amid the fast-paced NASCAR racing scene at racetrack events.
5. Virtual book tours via blogs are sweeping the Internet. If you don’t know what I’m talking about and you’re still in the writing process, this is the perfect time to learn about how blogging can help skyrocket book sales.

Whether your story is about how you came to write your book or the circumstances behind your unique message, it is what your audience will remember long after reading your book or hearing you speak. This is the fine art of communicating at the core level. People who learn to do this well make lasting connections that translate to bestsellers and high demand for their services, where they get to tell their story again and again and again and… .

Back in the days when I toiled in advertising, those people who were locked in their offices, hunched over desks either writing copy or designing the layouts for the ads were called “creatives.” The “beautiful people” were the account execs who got to wine and dine the clients as part of their job to sign and keep the accounts.

And that is how “creative” can be perceived: The starving artist, reclusive writer and temperamental actor.

I don’t like clichés or stereotypes, so today’s myth-busting message is that authors can be both creative and entertaining. Here are three examples of writers who extended their imaginations past the page to the public’s eye.

The first two were clever enough to tie their work to the event foremost in most Americans’ minds right now–the presidential election.

Mark LaFlamme, author of the novel, Dirt: An American Campaign, put his protagonist, Frank Cotton, in the race with a website and blog for the fictitious character. Those who want to help promote Frank Cotton and the book can download a banner to post on their own websites or blogs and get the good deed reciprocated with their links listed on the “candidate’s” site as a Friend of Frank Cotton.

My client, Feng Shui expert Pat Heydlauff, wrote and posted a press release/article analyzing the colors worn by First Lady Laura Bush, Senator Hillary Clinton, Cindy McCain and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin during their presentations at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. This was not a fashion article, but a commentary on how color helped deliver the speakers’ messages with respect to both the outfit and the contrast against the background. The article was picked up by newspapers around the country, with Pat’s short bio, website link and mention of her upcoming book, Feng Shui: So Easy a Child Can Do It.

Author Deb Sharp overcame her resistance to what she calls “shameless promotion” by poking fun of herself both in her personal blog and in Ask Mama, the blog she created for her title character in Mama Does Time and Mama Rides Shotgun. Deb has even created some radio essays for Tampa’s National Public Radio station WUSF-FM that detail the “horrors” she has faced getting ready to be a published author.

I could write a book (and maybe I will) about clever ways to promote yourself. But, you’re a writer, too, so you don’t need me to tell you how to be creative. Just get in the shower, take a walk, drive your car or whatever gets your muse working and think of ways to get your work in front of readers. And then send me your story so I can tell everyone here.

Sometime back when you were in middle school or high school, some English teacher probably taught you about the concept of the main idea and how to use it to develop a paragraph and ultimately, an essay or composition. Like everything else in today’s fast-paced techno-society, the main idea has been abbreviated to single words or short phrases now known as “key words.”

Your attention to this detail may have begun when some techie told you that no one would find your website without good key words. SEO (search engine optimization) experts seemed to have developed a whole industry around the use of key words. While I’ve yet to master the concepts of SEO, I have found one great use for key words, thanks to Google.

Just like being able to identify the main idea or key phrases to bring your audience to your website, you can use these same words to bring your audience to your email box with Google Key Word Alerts. By setting up a free account and identifying a series of words or phrases, you can register to receive hourly, daily or weekly notification about articles or blog posts on the Internet that contain your key words. The “alerts” are delivered directly to your email box, for you to read at your leisure.

For example, my key words for the Alerts are book publishing, self-publishing, book marketing, my name, my book title, my publishing company’s authors’ names and book titles and my husband’s name and company. I receive my alerts daily (hourly was too intense and distracting and weekly was too overwhelming). I know when someone mentions our names or books/products in a blog, article or press release posted on the Internet. I’m also informed when someone writes about any of the topics I’ve identified.

Why would I want this information? In the case of the industry-related key words, it helps keep me current on trends and important events and relieves me of the task of having to scour dozens of publications for the information. If I’m following a story in the news, I receive timely updates.

By receiving alerts for name, book title and company as well as key words, I know when someone is talking or writing about people and/or subjects relevant to me. It gives me an opportunity to review the information, and in the case of blogs, comment if it is appropriate.

For example, I recently received an alert for Adair Cates‘ Live with Intention, a book published by my company, Visual Impressions Publishing. The alert linked to a discussion board called Live with Intention, and all the members were people seeking the kind of information that Cates covers in her book. I forwarded her the information so that she could join the discussion group and talk with her potential audience. (See previous post that mentioned how Jeff Rivera built his readership through discussion groups, and eventually landed a publishing contract?)

Blogs are heavily monitored by the search engines, and posts and comments to posts show up almost immediately. I have found my name turn up in a search for a key word simply because I made a comment on someone else’s blog post–so you don’t even have to have your own blog or website for this to work for you. Of course, it is better to have somewhere to link your name so you can take advantage of the traffic, but having just your name in print in the subject area helps to build your platform.

If you haven’t identified your key words yet, do it now. Then sign up for Google Key Word Alerts and try it out. The beauty of it is that besides being free, you can add and delete words and phrases at any time and the changes are effective immediately. You may have to experiment until you find the right combination of words, but it’s fun and illuminating. And so cool.

I’ve been intending to get back to blogging and make it part of my writing life for weeks. I advise others to blog when they consult with me. So why haven’t I done it? Poor excuses mostly and I won’t bore you with them.

I read some incredible statistics on Friday in Publisher’s Lunch about what has happened to A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle since being selected as an Oprah Book Club title. In advance of the announcement, the publisher, Penguin, shipped an initial order of 775,000 books. Then, Oprah and Tolle announced a free 10-week online webinar for readers. In the past four weeks, Penguin has shipped an additional 3.34 million books, “the record for the most copies ever shipped by Penguin Group USA in a four-week period.”

Four million books in slightly over a month. Because Oprah endorsed it. That’s power. Not only of the woman, but of her words. Now millions of people are reading Tolle that never read him before and never would have. (Think some of them might even buy his previous titles?) Do you think he will influence lives?

You and I have the same power. Every time we speak or write, we send out messages. As writers, our words have lasting power. And so, I am once again inspired to write in my blog as well as in my weekly newsletter The Wordy Woman because I, too, have a mission and I believe in the power of the pen.

I’m baaaack. It’s more than a little embarrassing to notice that I haven’t posted in more than a year. Ouch! In order to post this morning, I had to jump through a few hoops because Blogger has changed. (Don’t you hate that?) But, I did it: I added a new photo, updated my profile and learned how to upload and download photos using Flickr. There is a real sense of accomplishment in taming the “technology resistance” inclination and overcoming the frustration of figuring out what seems to just come naturally to my kids.

Now that I’ve gone through all this time-consuming activity, I’m determined to stay on top of the blog and post regularly. Blogging is something I recommend to all my clients who are promoting their books and their businesses. So, I’m going to follow my own advice and get back in the groove (now I’m really showing my age, but I suspect a few of you will know what I’m talking about).

So, check back here regularly. I’ll be posting writing and publishing tips, answering questions and waxing poetic at times.